Who enjoys shooting real antique firearms?

[SGW Gunsmith]

I only have one, that could be considered an antique. Only shot it a few times just to see if it worked and if I could hit anything with it. Trying to figger out how to mount a red-dot, and then maybe send it off to Mag-Na-Port to control the muzzle flip.

 

[Fyrstyk]

Here is a screen shot of a video of me shooting the H&A. You can see one of the balls leaving the cylinder as I cocked the gun for another shot. I am considering dipping the tip of the cartridge, the ball and a short portion of the case, in a thinned out Elmer's Glue to help keep the ball in place. I'm not sure that's going to work.

View attachment 934567

Try covering the end of the cylinder holes with crisco like it is done with black powder revolvers.

 

[Johnm1]

Try covering the end of the cylinder holes with crisco like it is done with black powder revolvers.

That is a good thought. Thanks. Not sure what I'ts going to do for accuracy, but it is not very accurate as it is. At about 10' shooting at a spot in the dirt I had a 3 ft wide Impact Zone. I'm pretty sure that had a lot to do with the projectiles coming loose. Not that this thing was ever intended for accuracy. But?

 

[donki1967]

I still shoot my Gras rifle produced between 1874 and 1880.

I love shooting with old rifle,
I shoot from time to time with my lebel or swedish mauser,
let us see your gras!
(it's not easy to find one even in France)
Regards

 

[Johnm1]

I only have one, that could be considered an antique. Only shot it a few times just to see if it worked and if I could hit anything with it. Trying to figger out how to mount a red-dot, and then maybe send it off to Mag-Na-Port to control the muzzle flip.

View attachment 934571

Mine is actually quite fun. It is a 10in and is quite accurate. How does yours do ejecting the spent casing? I understand that was a flaw when they were brand new. I carry a range Rod to poke out the empty because mine rarely actually pulls the case from the chamber.

 

[WestKentucky]

The old revolvers, particularly the Smith and Wesson Tip Ups, are absolutely not strong enough for modern 22 shorts.

Absolutely agree. Getting inside of some 140 year old guns I have learned just how fragile early guns were, and it’s amazing that there are so many of them left because they were not built to last. They may have been built as good as they could be with period materials, but they just are NOT strong. In the hey-day of the old west; and shortly post civil war; when many of these guns Were made they were cutting corners like crazy trying to make as many guns as they could, as cheap as they could, and many disreputable players got involved supplying poor materials, and/or being designed with the intent to use materials we would NEVER use today. Even the big names. A lot of brass was used because it was easy to cast and easy to rough finish with early machine tools, then easy to whip into shape with a hand file at an assemblers bench. Let’s not forget that the assembler was not being paid to make the best gun he could, but was being paid to turn out volume. My Colt New Line is a great example of a pisspoor gun. Nickel plated brass frame, corroded all to hell inside from black powder, with the softest breachface and blast shield I have ever even imagined. The frame was trash from the day it left the factory because it is so thin and weak that it should have never been trusted. That’s not the worst part of it though, the cylinder itself is of some material that is very grainy and rough which makes me think cast iron, but possibly even wrought iron as Colt has been documented having used. I bought some Aguilar super colibri ammo for it but having gotten as far as I am now, I’m not super interested in shooting it again. Once was enough for me to claim that I shot it, and even that was sketchy.

 

[SGW Gunsmith]

Mine is actually quite fun. It is a 10in and is quite accurate. How does yours do ejecting the spent casing? I understand that was a flaw when they were brand new. I carry a range Rod to poke out the empty because mine rarely actually pulls the case from the chamber.

Awful! The extractor does show marks, from what I suppose, was a previous owner using a pocket knife, or crow-bar, to remove spent cases. This pistol came to me at an estate auction along with a bunch of Stevens Favorite barrels, stocks and receivers.

 

[BigBlue 94]

I dont shoot my 'antiques' mich, but do occasionally. Most are pistols however.

'73 made in '83 in 32-20. I have a matching colt DA in 32-20 too, but needs lock work. With the '73 I got a 1897 winchester in 16ga. It shoots smooth too.

Then the Sav 99s in 22HP and 300 Sav.

Some old bolt and ss and pump 22 winchesters.

1903 32 colt made in 1905
1917 colt Army and a shooting master in 38-40

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Absolutely agree. Getting inside of some 140 year old guns I have learned just how fragile early guns were, and it’s amazing that there are so many of them left because they were not built to last. They may have been built as good as they could be with period materials, but they just are NOT strong.

Very true. Metallurgy and materials engineering have come a long way since black powder days.

One group of parts on antique firearms that could be particularly prone to failure were leaf and v-springs -- nothing puts a gun out of action faster than a broken spring. Patrick Sweeney devoted several pages in his book The Gun Digest Book of Ruger Pistols & Revolvers to explain exactly why Ruger's clever use of coil springs in the Blackhawk did so much to improve its durability vs. the original Colt single actions.

One of the cleverest things about the old Comblain action was its use of a single v-spring to power the entire mechanism.



The Peabody-Martini was another laudable design that combined a coil striker spring with a minimum number of sturdy parts. The only leaf spring was the low-stressed trigger return spring.

 

[Johnm1]

Awful! The extractor does show marks, from what I suppose, was a previous owner using a pocket knife, or crow-bar, to remove spent cases. This pistol came to me at an estate auction along with a bunch of Stevens Favorite barrels, stocks and receivers.

I have taken the extractor system out of mine trying to figure out a way to beef it up. I'm not sure that it really can be 'Beefed' up as it is such a poor design. I'll start at it some more, but I'm not hopeful I can figure out a better way to catch this mouse.

 

[SGW Gunsmith]

I have taken the extractor system out of mine trying to figure out a way to beef it up. I'm not sure that it really can be 'Beefed' up as it is such a poor design. I'll start at it some more, but I'm not hopeful I can figure out a better way to catch this mouse.

I read you very clearly about the original design effort. It'd be nice to know what the mindset was involved with this case extractor that I removed from a Stevens Model 44:


When anybody talks about how the alleged craftsmen (people, excuse me) fit gun parts back in the day, they need to take a gander at this beauty.
Modern CNC machining beats the snot out of some of the old style "hand fitting" both mechanically and cosmetically:

 

[Johnm1]

I read you very clearly about the original design effort. It'd be nice to know what the mindset was involved with this case extractor that I removed from a Stevens Model 44:
View attachment 935103
View attachment 935104
When anybody talks about how the alleged craftsmen (people, excuse me) fit gun parts back in the day, they need to take a gander at this beauty.
Modern CNC machining beats the snot out of some of the old style "hand fitting" both mechanically and cosmetically:
View attachment 935105

Wow, that's sad.

 

[daniel craig]

Does an 1890s Mosin count?

 

[indy1919a4]

Does an 1890s Mosin count?

Hmmm thats a tough call its only 120+ years old. Traveled around the world, used in several wars, The original owner countries may not exist anymore, who ever held it for the 1st 50 years of its life has departed this veil of tears Hmmm ... do not know, I am not feeling it ...

 

[Steve Milbocker]

I bought an 1893 Marlin for my quest to take a Michigan whitetail with a 100 year old rifle. It was built in 1900. This thread made me realize I guess I’ve already accomplished that. Took my first deer with this old Krag when I was 14. I’m 65 now

 

[swg1]

I haven't been loading black powder cartridges for any recent guns!

Snider with an 1864 date on the lock. Martini-Henry MkIV, Mauser 71/84, Gras conveniently chambered in 11mm Mauser (thank you Kynoch), Remington rolling block in 43 Spanish, couple of trapdoors. Think that pretty much sums up my cartridge rifles that smell like an egg fart.

After that, a whole bunch of rifles that start with a
Commission 88 and continues from there. Too many to list, not that it is a huge list, but I'm sending from my phone.

 

[792mauser]

Gew91
Gew 88
3 trapdoors
2 Martini-Henry rifle and carbine
Argy 1891
Swedish 1896 (1900)
2 turk 1893
4 sniders
7mm Mexican rolling block

And numerous revolvers from before 1910

 

[swg1]

Four sniders! No wonder it was so darn hard to find a good one!

 

[cfullgraf]

My oldest rifle is a Winchester 1873 made in the early 1890’s chambered in 32-20. I shoot it once in a while with light loads. I have a S&W K-frame chambered in 33-20 from the early 1920’s to go with Wincester.

I have a 6.5x54 Kurz Mauser that was a WWI bring back from my paternal grandfather. I have dies to make cases as the ammunition is obsolete. It had set triggers which makes it interesting to shoot.

I have an ‘03 Springield that I’d like to rebarrel but have not gone beyond getting a barrel. It will be an 03-A1 if I ever get the work done. I like the A1 stock better than the original stock. The original is not in great shape anyway.

 

[Ranger99]

Don't have any what I would consider
antique firearms, other than an old Stevens
double with no stock, and an old single
of unknown origin that breaks by pulling a
ring by the trigger, and takes down by pulling the barrel pivot pin.
I've shot several real antiques. Several
old Winchester 73's and 92's and various
old handguns, peacemakers and Remington derringers, and an unknown make of boot pistol, about a .43 muzzleloader caplock.
A now deceased neighbor had an original
trapdoor, the full length rifle like what they
used in Hollywood to portray a muzzleloader. That thing would shoot!
It would have been a tack driver with practice. My muzzleloading mentor had
one of those 1860's Springfield original
military rifle that he could embarrass quite
a few modern rifle shooters with.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

As I mentioned in another thread, my most recent acquisitions were a pair of Swedish Rolling Blocks in 8x58Rd made about 150 years ago. They were converted to smokeless about twenty years after that, then sporterized in bulk and lovingly maintained in amazing condition by their civilian owners.



(Carl Gustav top, Remington below) Other than freshening up the wood finish and replacing the Remington's beat up firing pin, they arrived in shootable condition with excellent bores. Including shipping to my door from Simpsons this February, they cost about $400 apiece. https://simpsonltd.com/long-guns/antiques/rolling-blocks/

BTW, I've already got the obsolete ammo sorted out.

 

[troy fairweather]

 

[sugarmaker]

I reload for and enjoy shooting my 131 year old Winchester '73 in .38-40.

I have one of those myself, shoots cast quite nicely